JPH0243208B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to an input method for inputting English characters.

Conventionally, in order to input English characters in English text type, etc., the number of key switches equal to or more than the number of English characters has been used, resulting in the following disadvantages.

(1) There are many key switches, so key operations cannot be performed quickly.

(2) Operating the key switch requires the use of fingertips and arm movements, which results in a large amount of work and is easily tiring.

(3) Since there are many key switches, the operation section becomes large.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, the present invention significantly reduces the number of key switches so that most of the key switch operations can be performed from the home position, making input operations easier and easier to remember. The purpose is to obtain a method for inputting characters that can be used.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, numeral 1 is a keyboard for inputting English characters, and this keyboard 1 has key switches 2, 2 arranged horizontally in a line for inputting English characters, etc.
A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2
H, 2I are provided. Key switches 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2 for inputting English characters, etc.
At the upper center position of E, 2F, 2G, 2H, and 2I, use the key switch on the left to read "ASDFGHJKL;"
The letters and symbols such as "QWERTYUIOP" are written on the bottom left position from the left key switch, and the letters "ZXCVBNM,.!" are written on the bottom right position from the left key switch. Symbols such as alphabetic characters are listed respectively.

3 and 3A are key switches 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2 for inputting the above-mentioned English characters, etc.
These are left and right space key switches placed at the left and right positions approximately at the bottom center of G, 2H, and 2I. Reference numeral 4 denotes an English capital letter changeover key switch arranged on the left side of the left space key switch 3. Reference numeral 5 designates a lowercase English letter changeover key switch located on the right side of the right space key switch 3A.

Key switch 2, 2A, 2 for inputting English characters, etc.
B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2
As shown in FIG. 2, the keyboard 1, which is equipped with left and right space key switches 3 and 3A, a key switch for changing upper case letters 4, and a key switch for changing lower case letters 5, stores the inputs of each key switch, and has a printing mechanism, etc. It is connected to an arithmetic storage device 7 which outputs to an output mechanism 8.

In the above configuration, key switches 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, for inputting English characters, etc.
The characters "ASDFGHJKL;" written at the upper center position of 2G, 2H, and 2I are the keyswitch 2 for inputting English characters with these characters written on them.
2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2
Input by operating H and 2I respectively,
Key switches 2, 2A, 2B for inputting English characters, etc.
The characters "QWERTYUIOP" written on the lower left side of 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, and 2I are key switches 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D for inputting English characters with these characters written on them. ,2
Key switches 2, 2A for inputting English characters etc. are input through a known AND circuit, etc., which outputs only when any one of E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I and the left space key switch 3 are operated simultaneously. ,2B,2
The characters "ZXCVBNM,.!" written on the lower right side of C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I are the key switches 2, 2A, etc. for inputting English characters with these characters written on them. 2B, 2C, 2
Any one of D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I
The input is made by simultaneously operating the space key switch 3A and the right space key switch 3A. In the case of uppercase letters, by operating the uppercase letter switch 4 once for the first time, you will be able to input uppercase letters from then on until you operate the uppercase letter switch 4 or the lower case key switch 5. There is. In the case of lowercase English letters, by first operating the lowercase English letter switch 5, lowercase letters can be inputted thereafter until the lowercase English letter switch 5 or the uppercase alphabet switch key switch 4 is operated.

Further, a space can be input by operating either the left or right space key switch 3 or 3A. Note that when inputting English characters, etc. using the key switch for English characters as described above, the input operation can be performed using the same fingers as those used for conventional English text typing, so even existing English typists can perform the input operation without any confusion.

Next, a different embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 will be described. In the description of this embodiment, the same parts as those in the embodiment of the present invention are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanation will be omitted.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the main difference from the embodiment of the present invention is that there are key switches 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2 for inputting alphabetic characters, etc.
G, 2H, 2I upper center position, lower left position,
With this configuration, the numbers and codes are written side by side at the lower right position, and the numbers and codes switch 9 is provided between the left and right space key switches 3 and 3A. After operating , numbers and codes can be input by operating the alphabetic characters.

In the above embodiment, after operating the uppercase letters, lowercase letters, number/symbol key switches 4, 5, and 9,
Key switches 2, 2A, 2B for inputting English characters, etc.
2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I or the key switch 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D,
Although the description has been made regarding input by operating one of 2E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I and the left/right space key switches 3 and 3A, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this. In this case, operate the English uppercase switch key switch 4 at the same time as inputting an English letter, etc., for each character, and operate the English lowercase switch key switch 5 at the same time as inputting an English character, etc., for each character. However, in the case of inputting numbers and codes, the input may be made by operating the number/code switching key switch 9 at the same time as inputting alphanumeric characters, etc., character by character.

In addition, key switches 2, 2 for inputting English characters, etc.
A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 2
For H and 2I, alphabetic characters, etc. may be written at the lower center position and upper left and right positions. Further, in the above embodiment, ten keyswitches for inputting English characters are arranged in a row, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of keyswitches for inputting English characters or the like may be increased or decreased.

As is clear from the above description, the present invention has the following effects.

(1) Alphabetical characters can be entered using approximately 10 keyswitches arranged in series and the left and right space keys located approximately at the bottom of the center of the keyswitch. It can be made compact with just one key switch.

(2) Since the number of keyswitches is small, it is possible to input English characters etc. using only the fingertips. Therefore, input operations can be performed quickly and easily.

(3) Since input operations are easy, input operations can be performed in a very short amount of time, rather than requiring a large amount of training period as in the past.

(4) According to (1) above, since the number of key switches is small, manufacturing is easy and costs can be reduced.

(5) Alphabetical characters and code characters written in the center position of a key switch are input by operating the key switch independently, and alphabetic characters and code characters written on the left side of the key switch are entered by the key switch and the left space key switch. Alphabetic characters or code characters written on the right side of a key switch are entered by simultaneous operation of the key switch and the right space key switch, and spaces are entered by using the left and right space keys alone. Since input can be performed by manual operation, it is easy to remember the input operations for alphabetic characters or code characters, and the input operations can be performed without fail.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a schematic explanatory diagram of the input mechanism, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a different embodiment of the present invention. 1...Keyboard, 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2
E, 2F, 2G, 2H, 2I...Key switch for inputting English characters, etc., 3...Left space key switch, 3A...Right space key switch, 4...Key switch for switching uppercase letters, 5...Key switch for switching lowercase letters , 6...Output mechanism, 7...Arithmetic storage device, 9...Numeric/sign switching key switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. At least five keyswitches arranged in series on the left and right sides, left and right space keyswitches arranged on the left and right sides at approximately the center lower part of the keyswitches, and described in the center position of each of the keyswitches. The alphabetic characters or coded characters written in the left and right positions of the key switch are the same as the alphabetical characters or coded characters written in the left and right positions of the keyswitch. The alphabetical characters or code characters written on the left side of the key switch are input by simultaneously operating the key switch and the left space key switch, and the alphabetic characters or code characters written on the right side of the key switch are input respectively. are input by simultaneously operating the key switch and the right space key switch, respectively,
A character input method characterized in that a space can be entered by operating the left and right space keys alone. 2. The character input method according to claim 1, characterized in that the key switch includes an English capital letter switching key, an English lowercase letter switching key, and a number/code switching key. 3 In the center position of the key switch are A, S, D,
3. The character input method according to claim 1, wherein the characters F, G, H, J, K, L, ; are written sequentially from the left key switch.